5 Easy Steps to a Bug-Free Backyard BBQ this Summer

Summer is here and backyard BBQ season is upon us. We all love relaxing as the smell of the grill waft over us, but we aren’t the only fans of delicious smells and summer cookouts. Pests like mosquitoes, wasps, and bees like intruding on our most delicious outdoor meals and bugging us for their share of the tasty treats. These 5 hacks will help you keep mosquitoes away, get rid of bees and wasps and make sure you have bug-free backyard BBQs this summer.

1. Keep Mosquitoes Away from Your Backyard

It’s hard to get rid of bugs when they have started nesting, but the best backyard mosquito repellent for mosquito control involves making sure they cannot breed where you spend time outside. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, so getting rid of water collection areas, like a poorly installed gutter, or puddles will keep mosquitoes away from your backyard.

2. Landscape with Plants that Repel Bugs

Even though bees are pollinators who are attracted to many flowers, there are some plants you can add to your garden that help get rid of bees, wasps, and mosquitos. Plants like marigolds actually keep bees away as well as other bugs with their scent. Using mint to cover up the smell of plants that are attractive to insects is also incredibly effective.

3. Use Repellents to Prevent Bug Bites

Even if you follow steps 1 & 2, your backyard BBQ can still attract bugs with the scents and aromas your foods produce. Bees and wasps are both attracted to sweet smells and mosquitoes can sniff out humans. Using bug repellents is imperative to a bug-free backyard BBQ. Put out a cup of sweet, non-carbonated liquid a safe distance from your backyard BBQ before you start cooking to distract the insects from the BBQ and the humans eating there. Try placing some cloves on your table to get rid of bees and wasps. Cloves keep wasps away as well as bees with their smell. Most importantly, try using a pretreatment product like Off!’s Backyard Pretreat the night before and you will see the difference during the next day’s backyard BBQ.

4. Setting Up your Picnic Food

The way you set up your picnic or backyard BBQ has a huge impact on keeping a bug-free backyard. Make sure that you put both the food table and trash some distance from where people are eating, as the scents from both attract bugs. When you are setting up the tables, try decorating with marigolds and spreading some mint and cloves around the serving and eating areas. The scents produced by these plants are extremely effective and will help keep bees away and keep wasps away to ensure you have a peaceful meal. If you struggle with mosquitoes, make sure to invest in a Citronella or Geraniol candle as a backyard mosquito repellent.

5. When Backyard BBQ Hacks Are Not Enough

If you have a more serious backyard pest control situation like a wasp nest or beehive on your property that’s too close for comfort, let a professional pest control company handle the job. Wasp and bee removal can be dangerous and potentially life-threatening, that’s why it should be left to professionals like the qualified technicians at Excel. A single sting may not hurt too much, but getting rid of beehives or trying wasp nest removal by yourself may result in more serious injuries.

Putting It All Together for a Bug-Free Backyard

Everyone dreams of bug-free backyard BBQs, and if you follow these 5 hacks, you will be well on your way to a bug-free backyard, whether for your residential pest control or commercial pest control services. Get rid of bees, wasps, and keep mosquitos away with just a little know-how and preparation, ensuring you can enjoy the meal at your backyard BBQ instead of becoming the meal for a hungry mosquito.

Read through our Bees FAQ, Wasps FAQ & Mosquitoes FAQ pages for more information regarding summer pests.